Controllable synthesis and catalytic activity of SnO2 nanostructures at room temperature

SnO2 hollow spheres and rod bundles were prepared using SnSO4 as raw material and sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) as templates at room temperature through oxidation-crystallization of colloidal spheres in different systems. The products were characterized with X-ray diffractometer, X-ray photoelectron spectrometer, transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope. Meanwhile, the catalytic performance of the SnO2 hollow spheres and rod bundles toward CO oxidation was studied. The result indicates that SnO2 hollow spheres with the uniform size exhibit a better catalytic activity toward CO oxidation, suggesting that the morphology of the materials has exerted a noticeable influence on the catalytic performance.